


Try to Fix You

by Suicide_Siren_679



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-01-25 09:30:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21354046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suicide_Siren_679/pseuds/Suicide_Siren_679
Summary: Peter Parker's childhood best friend calls after a terrible event and he ends up changing both of their lives because of it
Relationships: Peter Parker/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Feel free to comment on what you think works, what you liked, or what you think I could improve on. I’m looking for someone to beta read, but right now it’s just me so enjoy.**

Eventual Peter x Reader, Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, ANGST

TW: Abuse 

When you fall in love, you could never fathom that the person you give every part of yourself to could hurt or betray you. If you would think they had the capacity to do that to you, you wouldn't be with them. Loving is giving someone the ability to break you into a million infinitesimal pieces and hoping, praying, and trusting them not to. Unfortunately, there are people that will use love as a weapon, a game. Something to pass the time because they’re broken? Narcissistic? Evil? "_ There's got to be some explanation, _ " you think to yourself as you're contemplating how to get the hell out of the precarious situation. " _ How could I not see the signs sooner? How could I be fooled so completely? Did I see the red flags and just not notice them _?"

It started with small things when you look back on it. The fighting, the angry outbursts, the jealousy bordering on possessive, the "overprotective" nature he had really being all about control. You didn't even realize he slowly removed you from everything that was once important to you. You now screened your family's calls and completely disappeared from all of your friends. He was your world and he had made it that way on purpose. Then he began hitting you when you would make him angry. But he always apologized and promised it would never happen again. And it was great for a while until something set him off again. It was always your fault as to why he was angry and why he would hit you. "If you would just listen," "If you wouldn't go out with your friends as much," "I just love you so much that I go crazy."

Today was the last straw. You had told him before, "cheat on me or hit me and we are done." Now you find out he had been with other women, basically girls that were barely legal, almost your entire relationship. And one of them was pregnant. When you confronted him about it, he made you feel like you were crazy. When you had evidence to back it up, he got angry. Angrier than you had ever seen in your entire time knowing him. Suddenly his 6'2" frame seemed to tower over you, his muscles tensing and the vein in his neck pulsing and growing more pronounced with each beat. He had warned you to stop before something bad happened, but how could anything be worse than the bomb he had thrown into your relationship.

Then another line had been crossed, he laid his hands on you. Again. He threw you against a wall screaming at you because "How dare you accuse me of cheating?! And how do i know you're not fucking somebody else and this is just your guilt driving you crazy?!" He screamed, his hands tightening around your arms as he pulled you away from the wall only to slam you back against the wall again. Your head bounced off the wall and you could feel a headache forming from where it connected. When you fought back, his grip tightened like a vice. You begged him to stop because he was hurting you but that only seemed to egg him on. Raised his hand to punch you and brought it down to your face like a hammer, your eye instantly stinging from the contact. He kept throwing blows, connecting with any bit of flesh he possibly could. Finally, after what felt like forever, his phone rang. "_ Thank god for small blessings _" you thought.

It was one of his friends calling to see if he wanted to go out to the bar. He released his grip on you and you fell to the floor, your legs giving out from underneath you. He left, telling you that your attitude better be gone before he got back or you'd be sorry. You just cried, which made the pain in your face get more intense until you swore you had run out of tears for a lifetime.

Once the shock faded, you noticed the time on the stove read 1:38, he would be coming home soon. You began packing as many of your things into any bag you could find. Your hands were shaking as the entire fight replayed over and over in your head. With each replay your resolve to leave and anger grew brighter and more intense. After packing your laptop, some clothes, and your most prized possessions, you walked out your front door and down the stairs until you were out on the street. You pulled out your cell phone and with a jagged breath called the only person you could think of that would be up this late. 

After several rings, you were afraid you’d just get to your best friend’s voicemail. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, with each second passing, you began to regret your decision. Regretting leaving, because who would love you now. Regretting calling him because it would make life harder for both of you once your soon to be ex realized where you were. “_ Why should I even expect him to answer after all the hurt I’ve caused him.” _ But luckily you heard the click of an answer followed by a sleep drenched voice that made your heart drop into you stomach and tears prick in your eyes.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

Peter had finally settled into a light sleep after tossing and turning when he heard his phone begin to go off, playing a ringtone he hadn’t heard in 2 years. He thought he was just dreaming of you like he had many nights before. When his Spider-Sense began to scream at him that something was wrong, he realized that he wasn’t dreaming and saw that it was 2:15 AM. He lunged to his nightstand, attempting to grab the phone before it went to voicemail. 

He thanked whoever was up there that he had been conscious enough to respond as quick as he did. He quickly swiped to answer his phone, his heart hammering in his chest. He was terrified that it wouldn’t be you on the line and you just still had him in your phone as your emergency contact. When he heard cars passing and then the sound of sirens blaring in his ears he was afraid his worst fear was about to become a reality. That your asshole of a boyfriend that he warned you he about had gone too far and you were hurt or dead. So he decided to speak first “Y/n, wha-” He ran his fingers through his curls trying to collect his thoughts before he was quickly cut off by your very raw voice. You sounded like you were on the verge of tears quickly rush out “Pete, I need your help...”

He breathed an initial sigh of relief but the way you sounded made him even more anxious. “Wh- what’s wrong y/n? Is everything okay.” He prayed he was reading too much into this and maybe you just had a bad night but his Spider-Sense was on high alert, so he knew the odds of that were slim to none. 

“Can you meet me at the police station near Aunt May’s? I could really use some support,” you responded vaguely, not wanting him to get too upset and do something he might regret later. You knew Peter was fiercely protective of his friends but especially you. The two of you had been friends since you were both practically in diapers. You had been there when he lost his parents and Ben and he was there when your world crumbled after your mom died of cancer. Your dad had never been in the picture so when she got sick you spent weeks on end with him and May, your apartment feeling too big and empty without your mom’s presence. When she died, it didn’t feel right to leave the neighborhood so you just got a small apartment near your old building after you moved out of May’s. She never rushed you to move but after the big fight with Peter, it didn’t feel right to stay living there with his aunt. She was always trying to play peacemaker and have both of you see sense but you were too stubborn. Now more than ever you wished you would’ve just listened to the wise woman.

“Why are you going to the police department, y/n? What. Happened,” he spoke through gritted teeth this time and you flinched away from the phone on instinct. You hated when Peter got angry because he went from playful puppy to fearsome wolf in 0.02 seconds. 

“I… I can’t tell you, Pete….” a sob bubbled out of you, “ I just really need my Petey right now, _ please. _ I’ll tell you everything when I tell the police, okay. Just hurry.” You knew it was wrong to play the Petey card but desperate times called for desperate measures.

His heart broke at hearing your childhood nickname for him and he knew you were hurt. Deep in his soul, he knew. He began to blame himself for whatever had happened to you, he should’ve kept a closer eye on you. He should’ve stopped by your place this evening when this gnawing feeling first started but he had thought that was just the usual ache of missing you hitting him especially hard today. “Give me 15 minutes and I’ll be there okay, n/n? I’ll meet you in the lobby.” With that you both said goodbye.

He rushed to get a hoodie on, not caring that he was wearing just that and pajama pants. He grabbed an extra cartridge for his web shooter gauntlets and with that he was locking up his apartment and heading up to meet you at the police department. As soon as he got to an alley he took off swinging, his mind racing faster than he thought was possible on what could be wrong. He hadn’t heard from you in 2 years and yet tonight you call him out of the blue and have him meet you at the police station?

When he got close to the police station he decided to stop and walk the rest of the way. Peter got to the police station with a minute to spare and he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw you and he now knew why you refused to tell him. He gritted his teeth and repeated clenched and unclenched his hands at the sight of you. Wanting to find who did this to you and make you pay. You hadn’t seen him yet which he was grateful as it gave him a minute to compose himself before he ran up to you and pulled you into a quick hug. As soon as he had you in his arms, he felt you relax against him and could smell the salt in your tears as you began to cry for what was probably the millionth time that night. Once your crying died down a bit he pulled himself away from you to really inventory the damage that had been wrought.

Both of your eyes were swelling shut, from crying or impact wasn’t clear to Peter yet. Your nose was clearly broken and you had bruising on your cheek. Dried blood was on the front of your gray tank top and he could make out distinct hand prints on either arm Much of the skin of your torso was bruised or bloody and he wanted to kill whoever had done this to one of the most important people in his entire life. The last time he had felt rage even comparable to this was when Uncle Ben had died.

He could tell you were uncomfortable under his gaze as you tried to hide behind your hair that was much shorter than the last time he had seen you. Peter made a note to ask about that later once all of this was done, as your hair had always been a thing of pride for you. You flinched when he brushed your hair and tucked it behind your ear and the heartbreak he had felt before was nothing compared to the shattering he now felt. Whoever had done this to you was going to have hell to pay but for now his top priority was you. For now he just wanted to make you feel better and make sure you would get through this. “Are you ready?” Peter wasn’t sure if he was asking you or himself.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

“As ready as I guess I’ll ever be,” you grabbed his hand as you walked up to the front desk.

“How can I help you,” a short and stocky man in a police uniform asked as he assessed you. His bald head was gleaming in the fluorescent lighting and his face reminding you very much of a pug with how smushed in it was. 

“I’d like to report a crime and file for a restraining order,” you said as a weight seemed to lift off of your shoulders, “my boyfriend did this to me.” You felt Peter go rigid against you and tighten his grip on your hand but he was still there so you didn’t worry too much for now. With that the officer led you to the Domestic Violence unit.

After several hours of testimony, filling out paperwork, and getting pictures taken for evidence you were finally free to leave. Exhaustion was beginning to settle into your bones when a realization hit you.”_ I don’t have anywhere to go.” _ Both of your names were on the lease and you refused to step back in that apartment without Peter and a police escort, although you couldn’t quite place if the escort would be for you or Peter; as you could tell the only thing keeping him at the station and not out on the street hunting your ex was you. He’d been getting increasingly agitated and confused as the interview went on and you knew it was a matter of time before he exploded all over you with questions on why you hadn’t gotten him sooner, why you didn’t at least talk to May, or why you didn’t leave sooner. 

“Is there a women’s shelter I can go to until I find a new apartment,” you asked the woman that had been interviewing you. Peter looked over to you as if you had grown three heads before saying “ Don’t be ridiculous, you’re coming home with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight until this bastard is behind bars, y/n”

The last thing you wanted was to burden him even more by being an unwanted roommate but you had to admit that his idea sounded much better than being crammed into a small building with a bunch of strange women that you only shared one terrible thing in common with. So you decided why not? It wouldn’t be more than a couple nights and he had come all this way to be there for you and was now offering you a free place to crash. Plus, you really didn’t want to be alone after what happened and you could use a familiar face.

This was one of the many reasons why you loved Peter too, he would give anyone the shirt off his back because of who he is. But he would also go to the end of the universe for those he loved. It didn’t matter that your last conversation before this had been full of anger, hurt feelings, and unsaid words. He still for some reason unknown to you, considered you a friend and you would forever be grateful for him. He had always been your rock and here he was again, being the stand up guy you looked up to growing up.

When you finally left the station and headed to the subway, it was well into the morning and you realized you probably wouldn’t be going into work for the next couple of days so you sent your boss a text asking to work from home for the rest of the week. Peter was also typing away on his phone but he held your hand to make sure you wouldn’t leave. He also was on high alert, it seemed. Once you and Peter got onto the subway, you finally felt the full force of everything hit you and you felt the wind knocked out of you. Luckily at that moment, Peter wrapped his arm around you and things felt slightly better. After the conductor called for your stop, you and Peter stood up and gathered your things to head to his apartment. It wasn’t more than a few minutes from where you guys got out but the sooner you could get indoors and away from all of the stares, the better. 

After climbing 3 flights of stairs you were finally at the door to Peter’s apartment. He unlocked it quickly and set your stuff down. You were given a very brief tour of the tidiest apartment you had ever seen. Peter’s photography was all over the apartment and it had a very lived in minimalist look to it. In the hall on the way to his room you saw a picture that made you tear up. It was a picture of you, your mother, May, Peter, and Ned on the last birthday you had before your mom got sick. _ “Mom would hate all of what’s going on right now.” _After the whirlwind of the day, this was something you needed to but also didn’t want to see. 

“Can I take a shower,” you asked, “ I desperately need one after the poking and prodding. Plus I’d like to get out of this,” as you gestured to the front of you blood soaked tank top. Peter gathered up some stuff for you to take a shower and showed you where to go. Never had a shower ever felt better or more relaxing. You spent a long time just letting the water rinse the day off and refusing to get out until the water ran cold because you didn’t want to face what lay ahead. For this brief period in time, you were at peace.

Eventually though you had to get out, so you quickly toweled off and put on some plaid pajama pants and a science pun t-shirt, both of which you had realized you’d stolen from Peter when you were younger. _ “I wonder if he even remembers me taking these. I wonder if he actually wants me here, or he’s just pitying me.” _The internal monologue would not stop doubting. When you walked out of the bathroom you expected to be grilled by Peter. To your relief though, Peter was just laying on the couch waiting for you. He had just ended a phone call and was now texting when you plopped down by his feet.

“You can take the bed if you want, I can sleep on the couch,” he said not looking up from his phone. You just nodded and went back to his bedroom, leaving the door open. Pulling back the dark blue covers, you tried to settle in but couldn’t. Your mind would not shut off and every time you closed your eyes, your brain would just replay the night’s events over and over. The restless mind thing had happened from time to time growing up when you would feel bad for robbing him of his bed or you were and Peter could tell what was going to come next.

“Don’t mind me,” he stated while walking into the room, “just coming to get my charger.”

“Pete, get in the bed,” you said matter of factly, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep knowing your not comfortable. Plus, I think someone protecting me might make me fall asleep quicker.”

“Fine, but you better not snore or blanket hog,” he quipped, pulling the blankets on the unoccupied side of the bed.

“Blanket hog?! If I remember correctly, you used to burrito yourself every night, Parker.” You rolled onto your side, lifting your head up for him to put his arm under your neck, settling into the familiarity and warmth of him. You refused to lay as close as you used to with him, but got just close enough towards you both would have ample blankets. 

“That’s because otherwise I’d freeze, y/l/n.” It was so odd yet comforting falling back into the pattern. With both of you laying side by side in his full-sized bed, it felt just like old times and you quickly dozed off, the weight of the day finally pulling you into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When you woke up you were wrapped in Peter’s arms, face pressed against his bare chest. You could hear the rhythmic thumping of his heart and feel the subtle rise and fall of his chest. His hair a crown of chocolate curls and his freckles barely peeking out, letting you know he’s either been in the Spider-man suit too much or just not getting enough sun. Growing up you swore he had constellations on his face, a gift from whoever may be up there just adding to his beauty. He may be your best friend but even you had to admit to how handsome he was, especially now. “_ What are you doing? You literally were at the police station today putting a restraining order on your fresh ex! Now is _ _ not _ _ the time to be thinking like that.” _

You laid your head back down on his chest as you continued thinking. He had grown since the last time you saw him, became more manly. He was nothing to shrug at after the whole Spider-Man transformation but now everything was more defined. You would be lying if you were to say you had never thought of trying to go the next step with him but the timing was never right and then you had the big fight. Your heart broke a little every time, even to this day, that you went past Aunt May’s because you figured he would never want to speak to you ever again. The worst thing though was when you had to cut Aunt May out because it hurt too much to have to constantly side step the huge neon elephant in the room or have her continually bring him up. She had been like a second mother to you most of your life and when you thought you had lost Peter for good you hadn’t anticipated losing Aunt May as well.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt Peter’s arms flex and tighten around you. He took in a deep breath and sighed before brushing a piece of hair out of your face. You looked up at him and moved away slightly, ignoring the hurt look that crossed his face when you did. You got up to go to the bathroom and get changed, trying your hardest to avoid even gazing in the mirror, hating even the thought of how you must have looked. Your whole body hurt, but your face felt especially tender. You quickly got changed into a pair of ripped jeans and a flowy top, brushed your unruly mop of hair and exited the bathroom to hear Peter tensely talking to someone on his phone.

“Don’t fucking call me or her ever again. She put out a restraining order for a reason and you are so lucky I don’t hunt you down right now and make you feel how she does right now. If you call either of us again, I _ will _ call the cops for violating the order. LEAVE HER ALONE. You are _ done _hurting her for as long as I’m around. Understand?!” Peter looked over to see you and quickly hung up the phone. He crossed the room in mere seconds to you and hugged you, his mood immediately shifting. “I am so sorry you heard any of that, I was trying to finish the call before you got out. He wouldn’t stop calling and I had 12 voicemails from him and I can’t imagine how many times he’s called you an-” you immediately began sobbing into his now clothed chest and he stopped in his tracks.

“It’s all too much, Pete. What if he hurts me again, or you? I couldn’t live with myself. I should’ve just figured this out on my own and left you out. May already probably hates me and now that I’ve gotten you into all of this if you get hurt, she’ll hunt me down. And even if she doesn’t, he will. He won’t stop, Peter. He said so himself, he’d rather see me dead than not with him.”

“Hey, I won’t let anything happen to you. Remember in 7th grade when Flash tried to kick mine and Ned’s asses and you punched him in the balls. You said, and I quote ‘No one lays a hand on my friend and gets away with it.’ It’s the same thing. Flash was much stronger than you and yet you did what was right because you cared about us. The only difference in this situation is that I’m way stronger than him and this is the one time I think I’d ever use my Spider strength selfishly. I never want to see you look like how you did last night ever again. You know eventually we have to talk about all of this, right? Not including the basic catching up and talking about what happened the last time we saw each other?” He gently stroked your hair to calm you down as he hugged you tighter.

“I know….. Can we do that after I figure out some stuff? Like where I’m gonna live now,” you asked, trying not to get stressed out at the mere thought that right now, you were homeless.

“No need to rush, but when you feel up to it. And I was actually going to talk to you about that…..” He seemed hesitant, like he was second guessing whatever he was going to say, “You know how we always talked about getting an apartment together? How about you move in here? I have a spare room and I’ve been looking for someone to put in it since Ned moved in with Betty. You’d be doing me a favor, helping split the rent, make it not so lonely here. I could even be your bodyguard and give you some piece of mind.” 

“You would really want that? Even though we haven’t talked about,” You gesture broadly, “everything else?”

He looked offended and scoffed, “N/n, come on. Act like you know me even a little, of course I want that. If I’m being really honest with you, I’ve missed having you around. Even with all the crap going on right now and your scum bag ex, I’m just glad you’re here. I was afraid when you called that you were….”

You hugged him close because you knew what he was going to say and it made your heart sink. He thought he would end up having to attend another funeral for someone he loved. After his parents and Ben, it was a valid fear. “I’m sorry I scared you,” you said, hoping he knew how much you meant it. The last of your tears fell and you took in a shaky breath.

The two of you stood there for a while while your tears dried, he was smoothing your hair and swaying you. Eventually his stomach growled and it made you chuckle. “Why don’t we get some grub, Spider-boy,” you teased as he gasped in fake shock.

“How dare you, y/n. That might’ve flown when we were kids but I’m a _ man _ now,” he faked a bravado and tried to strut but ended up tripping on his pair of pajama pants on the floor. His face flushed bright red as he kicked the garment away from him.

You couldn’t help but chuckle at your best friend, “_ Maybe this whole roommate thing will work for the best.” _He was rubbing the back of his head playing with his hair when you decided to quip back, “Sure ya are Spiderling, come on, I’m hungry too.” 

You both walked to his kitchen, you choosing to sit at the counter while he pulled out a pot and filled it with water. “Mac and cheese okay?” He asked pulling 2 blue boxes out of his pantry. 

“Only as long as they’re -” But he cut you off mid-sentence to finish the thought

“Shaped like something, yeah, yeah. I remember.” He stuck his tongue out at you as he changed out the original boxes for superhero shaped noodles. You couldn’t help but belly laugh at how he just had mac and cheese shaped like people he had worked with to save the universe on several occasions. “What are you laughing at,” he asked, “sometimes I babysit the kid at the end of the hall. I bought these for him.” His blush gave it away though. The nerdy, childish Peter was still very much alive and well. Even if he did have his own place.

“Sure you did, Pete. Tell yourself whatever to try and make yourself seem more mature. WE both know that isn’t for ‘the kid at the end of the hall’ ,” you said using air quotes to further cement your disbelief. You dropped your head down to look at your nails, anxiously picking at them. “But it doesn’t matter one way or another. I’m glad you have it, normal mac and cheese sucks.” You looked up at him through your eyelashes to see if he was looking. When your eyes connected, you looked back down at your hands. “So… how’s Aunt May?” 

“She’s doing alright. She asked about you recently, thought she mighta seen you passing her building but she wasn’t sure because of the hairdo and the clothes. She said the girl she saw looked more like a boy or someone androgynous with the get up and all. I was meaning to ask, why’d you cut your hair?” You always liked your hair long, especially after a particularly traumatic hair cut in middle school when you thought you would get a pixie cut. Since then you’d only ever trimmed it and had hair that fell down to your waist throughout much of highschool and college. 

“After Harry,” saying his name burned your tongue like sulfuric acid, “used my long hair to pull me back and slam me down on the ground, I decided on a hair style to make that harder. I decided on a modified fuckboy haircut because it gave him a very small patch to be able to grab onto and I kept it short to make it harder with his big hands. He had hated it and it caused another fight but he stopped trying to pull my hair, so I guess it was worth it. And regarding the clothes, he didn’t like me wearing anything that you could see my curves in,” you stated with a shrug.

Peter was tense and went to add the noodles to the boiling pot of water. He gripped the granite countertop tightly and you could see he was holding back in how his back and shoulder muscles tensed and tightened under his t-shirt. He stirred the noodles and then rubbed the back of his neck. You were getting really nervous. You knew Peter would never hurt you but this was bringing back really bad memories. You knew he would be upset at the revelation, but that he wouldn’t even look at you… _ “He must be ashamed to be my friend… to be friends with someone so weak... so pathetic… it’s gotta kill him” _

“Pete? Are you okay? You’re scaring me a bit.” He didn’t answer and instead went to get a glass of water, you could see that his jaw was clenched as you saw a side view of his face. But he was refusing to look at you. A million thoughts started flying through your brain as your mouth betrayed you and let out the smallest noise. “Petey, please…..”

He took in a deep breath and turned to face you, tears welling in his eyes. “Y/n, why didn’t you call me sooner? Why didn’t you leave sooner? Why didn’t you talk to anyone? Did you honestly think that even if I _ hated you _ I would want you to live in that hell? Especially after what I told you before the big blowup? Y/n, I told you I _ loved _you. _ Love _ love, not just as a friend or a sister. And you told me you couldn’t be with me. I didn’t cut you out then, I still wanted you in my life. And that hurt like hell. But, if I wanted you in my life _ then _, what made you think I wouldn’t come and save you the minute he laid a finger on you?” The timer went off so he went to take care of noodles and finish cooking the meal, not giving you time to respond. When he was done he dropped a bowl on the counter in front of you. “I’m gonna go to my room, I’ll be there when you want to talk.” He began to walk away but you grabbed his arm and motioned for him to sit at the counter with you.

“He threatened you, the Spider-man you. I swear I didn’t tell him, but he threatened to reveal you and hurt May and Ned… He also constantly told me no one would ever love me but him, that I’m so terrible that that’s why my dad left my mom right before I was born, and that if I ever left, he would kill me and then everyone I cared about. After a while, I believed it all. And then he knocked up someone 7 years younger than us. She literally turned 18 three months ago and she’s pregnant with his child. And this attack was the most vicious because I decided to call his bluff. I know you would’ve saved me but in those moments of weakness, I felt completely alone Peter. I couldn’t tell anyone out of fear of him hurting you guys. I never meant for this to happen. I’m sorry I’m so weak,” you began to cry for what felt like the hundredth time in 24 hours as he stared in horror. He didn’t have time to respond before there was a pounding at the door. 

“Y/N, I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE! YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD HIDE WITH PARKER AND I WOULDN’T FIND YOU?! YOU'RE DUMBER THAN I THOUGHT” You could hear Harry’s screams through the door and your blood ran cold. You felt glued to your seat as fear spread throughout your entire body. Peter’s body immediately went tense as he went to go to the door. It wasn’t until Peter got to the door that the shock faded slightly and panic set in. “_ What if Peter gets hurt, or he has May or Ned with him?!” _

Peter made sure the chain lock was secured on his door before walking close to you and whispering. “Hide in the bathroom, lock the door, call 911 and I’ll stall him until they arrive. Go!” he handed me his cell phone and pushed me towards the bathroom. I dialled 911 as I entered the bathroom, quickly locking the door behind me.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“Yes, I’m at 410 Chelsea Apartment 4B, I have a protective order against my ex and he is here. I’m scared he’s going to hurt me or my friend. Please hurry.”

“Ma’am, I have sent an officer your location, please stay on the phone until the police arrive. Where are you in the apartment? And you said your friend is there? Where are they?”

“I’m locked in the bathroom, my friend is in the living room trying to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone.” I heard what sounded like a crash followed by Harry yelling for me and Peter yelling at Harry to leave. “I think he just broke into the apartment. Please, please hurry.”

“Ma’am, a police officer will be on scene in about a minute. Can you give a description of you ex so that I can relay it to the officers?”

“His name is Harry Osborn, he is a little over 6 feet tall, about 200 lbs, sandy brown hair, brown eyes.” You were beginning to panic again as you heard the yelling get closer to you and what sounded like an elephant parade which you assume meant the two were fighting,

“Thank you Ma’am, an officer is on scene now and should be at the apartment in a moment.”

All of a sudden you heard a third voice instructing them to break it up, reaffirming what you had guessed and now you really didn’t want to go out there. If Peter got hurt at all, you’d never be able to face him again. “_ I brought all of this and put it onto him. He’ll hate me, and I’ll have no one and nowhere to go.” _ You heard a knock at the door, followed by a deep voice.

“Ma’am, it’s Detective Stacy of the NYPD, are you hurt? Can you come out of there?” You gripped the phone with white knuckles as you unlocked the door and slowly opened it. You were greeted by the soft face of a man who looked to be in his late 50’s. He was wearing a suit and had his badge displayed on his belt. Immediately, some of the tension you had been holding was released and you hung up the phone. The officer led you out into the living room where you saw both Peter and Harry in handcuffs, they were at separate corners of the room and luckily Peter was closer. You rushed to Peter, looking him over to assess any damage Harry had caused him. Luckily, all you could see was the formation of a black eye. Officer Stacy released Peter from his cuffs, explaining that it was more to keep the two from fighting again. Peter rubbed at his wrists and nodded in understanding. As soon as you went to hug Peter, Harry started to verbally attack you.

“You really thought you could get away from me, you dumb bitch? That I would just let you go without so much as a word?! And of all places and people, you really thought I wouldn’t think you’d run to him first? I bet you’ve been fucking him the entire time, huh? I always knew you two were more than “just friends”. Playing the victim card to get him into bed with you. After all, you were lucky I would even touch you half the time. I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” Officer Stacy prodded. “Harry Osborn, you’re under arrest for Assault, Breaking and Entering, and Violating a Protective Order.” He then read Harry his rights and brought him downstairs to his partner. “I’ll be back up in a moment to collect your statements, alright?” He called behind him. 

With Harry finally out of the room, you began to think clearly again and your first thought was to really assess the damage to the apartment and Peter. Peter’s shirt collar was stretched and he had a black eye. You could also see him rubbing his side and when he walked to the kitchen for a glass of water you noticed a slight limp. You wondered how Harry looked as you hadn’t spared him more than a glance, refusing to look at him or even let him see your face as he degraded you in front of Peter and the officer. You then turned your attention to the apartment, the door frame shattered and an obvious dent was in the door from where Harry must have run at it to get in. A small chunk of drywall hung to the chain lock still attached to the door. Peter’s coffee table was just a pile of lumber and broken glass. Comic books were strewn everywhere and you could see Peter’s camera and laptop in the rubble. You picked up the expensive camera that you and May had pooled your money together for Peter’s 18th birthday and saw that the lense was shattered. You sat on the couch, clutching it in your chest as you looked to Peter. “Pete, I’m so-”

“Don’t finish that sentence y/n y/l/n, none of this is on you. You hear me? This was that psycho’s fault and I’m not gonna have you try to place blame on _ anyone _ other than him.” He walked over to you quickly and took the camera out of your hands, setting it behind him as he pulled you into a hug. “All of this stuff is just that. Stuff. I’d rather have everything I’ve ever owned be broken by him, have every bone in my body broken, than let him hurt you again. You’re safe and that’s all that matters.”

Detective Stacy knocked on the open door before walking in. “Alright folks, I need to get your statements and then I assume you haven't gotten to pack any of your things seeing as you filed the order early this morning correct?" You nodded. "Well then I’m going to take you to go pack up your things. We’ll keep him in custody until his hearing, due to the fact that he voided his bond from this morning when he came here and assaulted Mr. Parker. But the sooner you get your stuff out, the better. I can’t guarantee how long he’ll be in custody though due to him being an Osbourn. So who wants to go first?”Peter looked at you and then Det. Stacy, not giving you time to answer. “I’ll go first, y/n why don’t you go eat? Do me a favor and text May and Ned from my phone asking them for moving boxes and to meet us here, please. We can go to the bedroom for privacy, Detective.” He led the detective to his room while you got to contacting everyone. “ _ This day just got a hell of a lot longer.” _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in posting Chapter 2 (I'm supposed to post once a week) So for this week you get 2 Chapters

After Peter gave his statement to Detective Stacy, it was your turn. You couldn’t tell if you were more anxious about seeing May, Ned, MJ, and Betty again or the fact that you had to talk to yet another cop in less than 24 hours. You were beyond mentally drained by all of this, but you still had so much to do, which was also affecting your anxiety. You had to stop your interview several times with the detective, for fear that you may end up having an anxiety attack or vomit from all of the stress, anxiety, and lack of an honest meal. When you were done talking the detective left you alone for a few minutes, saying he’d be waiting outside. He knew as well as you did that you had to collect yourself for a few minutes, but for different reasons. 

He probably figured you were going to fall apart, where in reality you just weren’t sure what you were going to face on the other side of the door. “_ What if no one showed up? Sure, I would still have Peter to help move the stuff but I couldn’t ask him to do all that, he’s already doing so much for me,” _ you thought. “ _ But what if they do. It’ll be so awkward. And I’m sure Peter hasn’t explained to MJ why I’m moving in or even _ that _ I’m moving in, what with everything happening so fast. I know if I was his girlfriend I’d be pissed off that a girl he used to be in love with was moving in with him before I was. This would all be so much easier if I would’ve called instead of texted. I just can’t face all of them. I hurt them so much, I’m sure none of them will forgive me.” _

Just then you heard a knock at the door, your breath catching in your throat. “Y/n, is it alright if I come in for a minute?” Peter’s voice asked, muffled. You felt like you could breathe again, knowing it was just him and not the detective with bad news or anyone you had texted trying to force you out of the room. You went to open the door, and saw Peter’s face tilted against the frame. You opened the door all the way and gestured for him to come in before shutting the door behind him, afraid someone else would come in. You both sat on the edge of the bed, neither wanting to break the quiet tension. Peter then cleared his throat and spoke first.

“Are you gonna come out soon? If not, we can pack up all the stuff we know is yours and I’ll send you pictures on the things we have questions on. You don’t have to come with us if you don’t feel ready or you worry it’ll trigger something in you.”

You shook your head and in this moment, you couldn’t be more grateful that somehow in life you ended up with Peter Parker of all people as your best friend. You were picking at a hangnail, trying to think of how to phrase the next thing you were going to say before deciding to just blurt it out. If it came out in moron, so be it, because Peter had always been able to decipher what you meant when your words _ did _ come out that way. 

“What if they all hate me for how I treated you and them? It wasn’t me, well it _ was _ technically me but it wasn’t _ me _me that pushed you all away. What if they don’t understand why I did what I did? What if they just want to pity me because I’m weak and they hate that they ever associated with someone so weak that they were abused for a year and a half by their partner? And what if MJ gets mad at me, I mean, I wouldn’t be too thrilled with my boyfriend inviting an old crush to move in with him without so much as a conversation between us.” You babbled without so much as taking a breath, barely registering the way Peter bristled at the mention of MJ and his relationship.

He grabbed your hands and started rubbing the top of them, trying to get you to stop picking at yourself. “Hey, no one hear will hate you, pity you, or think any less of you just because Harry is a controlling, abusive, manipulative prick, okay? If anything that reflects on _ him _ and his _ family _ for allowing him to end up like that. The people that are here care and yeah, it may take time to get to where all these relationships used to be before him but that doesn’t mean you stop trying. You stopped contact with them because you love them and wanted to keep them safe. If they can’t understand that and see how much strength it took to do that and to leave, then you don’t need them and neither do I. Understand?”

You nodded and tried not to cry again, but failed as tears began to well in your eyes. He wiped a tear as it rolled down your face and pulled you into a tight hug, trying to get you to calm down. Once you felt a bit better, you pulled away from the hug and Peter went to brush a strand of hair away from your face and tuck it behind your ear. He stood up and went to get a hoodie for both of you and dropped a black hoodie on the bed next to you. You picked it up and knew immediately why he had grabbed it for you.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

It was a hoodie you had gotten him for Valentine’s Day your senior year, having felt bad knowing that no one would be buying him anything and also in a desperate attempt to get him to realize you liked him. You had burst into the room you two shared, expecting him to be sitting there tinkering or maybe playing a video game. What you had _ not _ expected was to walk in on him halfway out of the Spider-man suit, a gash across Peter’s chest oozing blood. You slammed the door behind you and crossed the room, trying your hardest to ignore the blood and help Peter. You saw the look of panic cross Peter’s face as he tripped over his words trying to explain himself.

“Shut up. Bathroom, now!” You pointed to the bathroom connected to the bedroom. He quickly sat on the toilet as you rummaged through the bathroom drawers for your emergency kit and the hydrogen peroxide. You handed him a towel, “Here, bite this or May will hear.”

“Wh-wh-,” he tried to respond before you shot him daggers. He quickly put the towel in his mouth and you began to pour the liquid on his chest. His screams of pain were muffled and tears welled in his eyes as you dabbed the wound with a washcloth to make sure the wound was clean. Once it finally stopped fizzing, you applied an antibiotic ointment, steri strips and gauze across the gash and wrapped his pecs and upper part of his abs an ACE bandage. He stood up, weakly, the whole ordeal before and the pain from having to tend to the wound exhausting him.

You went back into the room to grab him a fresh change of clothes and handed them to him. He shut the door behind him, unusually quiet. When he came out you were sitting on the bottom bunk with the beautifully wrapped present, now a bit mangled from the box crashing on the floor in your lap. He didn’t seem to notice, his mind most likely running a million miles an hour. 

“Y/n, it’s not what it loo-”

“We don’t have to talk about it right now. I have a _ ton _of questions but that can wait until you’re feeling a bit better. Here,” you said, handing him the present as he sat on the floor in front of you. “I got you this because you’re my best friend and you deserve to know how special you are to at least one person, me. It’s also a thank you for taking me in and sharing your room with me with everything going on right now. I don’t know what I would do without you. I know it’s not much, but it’s all I could afford right now.”

He tore through the wrapping paper to see a black LEGO Star Wars hoodie with Darth Vader on it and chuckled. “It’s great y/n, really. And I don’t know what I’d do without you either. There’s no need to thank me for all that because I’ll always have your back. You’re stuck with me, nerd. Besides, you should _ really _be thanking May. I just agreed to it all.”

You laughed, “Oh, don’t worry about May, I already have a box of chocolates, card, and singing teddy bear sitting on the table for her for when she gets home.”

Peter feigned being hurt as he gasped, teasingly saying, “Oh, and all I got was a hoodie. Wooooow, y/n. That hurts.”

You grabbed the pillow next to you and lightly hit him with it, “Shut it, dork. You’re the one that didn’t get anyone anything.”

“Actually, I did.” He stated as he stood to get up. He went over to his dresser and pulled out a black box. “I got you this because I know you like weird things and I thought it would remind you of me when you wear it. I was already going to tell you about the whole, ahem, Spider-man thing tonight but I wasn’t expecting all of that,” he gestured to the bathroom door.

You opened the box to find a delicate necklace with a spider on it, the body made of garnet and the head adorned with eight little black stones. You stood up, handing him the necklace and turning away from him. You pulled your hair up, “Can you put it on me?” 

You barely felt the weight of the delicate little spider as he clasped the necklace. When he was done, you turned to look at him. “How’s it look?” you asked, fiddling with the spider to straighten it out. 

He gulped and just said, “Beautiful.” He took a step closer and looked down at your lips. You felt butterflies in your stomach as he leaned down. 

_ “Oh my god, is this really happening,” _you thought. Your lips were so close and right as he was about to kiss you, you heard the front door slam shut.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

“I can’t believe you still have this,” you said, completely taken aback.

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked flustered. “Of course I do, I kept everything you bought me. Now let’s get out there before Detective Stacy bursts a blood vessel.” He held his hand out for you and you took a deep breath as he opened the door. 

You walked outside of the bedroom and it was so silent you could hear a pin drop. You exited the hallway and was immediately squished into a bear hug, being subject to a Ned rant. “Oh my god, y/n, when I got that text I was so worried, but I knew you guys would need me so I came here straight from work. I can’t believe you guys have made up, does that mean Peter will stop being such a sad sack all the time. I swear since him and MJ broke up and you ghosted him, the only time I see him is when I force him to come out with me to the bar. I mean, I _ LITERALLY _ have to surprise him and drag him out for him to socialize. And what is going on because Peter didn’t expla-”

“Ned, Ned, NED, calm down. Take a breath. Please,” you said calmly, trying to get him to stop for a minute so you could process who all was here. You extracted yourself from the bear hug and looked around the room. You heard Aunt May gasp when your eyes fell on her and Betty had her arms crossed and looked at the ground when you looked at her. MJ was looking at you with anger and betrayal, which made more and less sense given what Ned had just divulged. “_ Do they all really hate me that much?” _

Ned looked at you, REALLY looked at you and his jaw went slack. You looked down at the floor, rubbing the back of your neck and wishing the ground would just open up and swallow you whole. You felt tears welling in your eyes as Peter rubbed your back. Ned hugged you again, gentler this time. Almost like you were made of glass and he was terrified of shattering you. He whispered in your ear this time, though. “I’m so glad you’re safe. And I’m glad you got out before it became too late.” With that, the tears fell freely. “_ How can I still have this many tears left? I’m probably using all of my tears for a lifetime in a 24 hour period,” _you thought.

You never cried much as a child and young adult but with everything that was happening it was like a hurricane of emotion had swept you up, tossing you until you couldn’t tell up from down. The only thing grounding you was Ned’s hug and Peter’s hand at this moment. You realized Peter was right. This was your family, even MJ who you would have to sort out everything with later, and they had come here to help in your time of need. It was going to take time and a lot of uncomfortable talks to get back to where you used to be with them, if you could ever completely repair the damage. This was a shaky but good first step to getting back to the you that you were before Harry.

“I know that you all have a lot of questions right now,” you stated, attempting to cut through the tension. “And I’ll tell you all after… I can’t say for sure when. But right now, I just need you guys to know how glad and shocked I am that you all came here. I’m in a bad situation right now and I need to move my stuff right now while there is a window.”

May stepped closer to you and put her hand on your shoulder, “Sweetie, you don’t owe us an explanation right now. Tell us when you feel ready.” She gave you a soft smile, but there was a sadness in her eyes that you hadn’t seen since your mom died. She turned to face Betty and MJ, “Alright everyone, let’s get to work. I’ll call the outreach center and get as many hands on deck as we can, they’ll have plenty of boxes and packing materials. Y/n, I need your address so I can have them meet us. We have some work to do so let’s move it!” She clapped her hands together and just like that, you all had a plan. 

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Detective Stacy escorted your group over to the apartment and helped all of you pack up your things. He was staying until you were done so Harry couldn’t say you stole anything or damaged any property, and also in case Harry got out before you all were done. While Peter and May helped the crew from the center know what to pack in the beginning, you dealt with your landlord to get out of the lease. MJ left after a few hours, saying she had work in the morning. You could tell she was lying, but didn’t push. You just thanked her for helping and asked to talk later. She gave a noncommittal shrug and left, so you weren’t quite sure what that meant. 

In total, it took 6 hours to pack up all of your stuff and move it into Peter’s. When you tried getting everyone to go home, May, Betty, and Ned refused until all of your stuff was unpacked as well. By the end of it all, Betty and Ned were fast asleep on the couch and Peter had only left your side to go get the 3 remaining people in your moving party some food. Which left you and May cleaning up the mess left behind from the day. You could tell she was deep in thought about something, but decided not to pry. The silence was killing you though, so you decided to at least say _ something. _

“I’m happy to see you again. After what went down between us the last time we saw each other, I wasn’t quite sure you would come.”

She turned to face you, betrayal and hurt clear on her face. “Did you really think I wouldn’t? Y/n, … you’re like a daughter to me. And just like mothers and daughters, when _ we _ fight, it doesn’t mean I love you any less. I knew something was going on with you, I just wish I knew how bad it was earlier. I hate seeing you hurt like this, sweetheart.” She touched the ends of your hair while continuing, “I _ hate _ whoever did this to you. But I know your mom would be so proud of you for the strength you’ve shown today, because I am.”

You hugged her tightly as Peter walked in, brown bags in his arms. He looked skeptical as he set the food down on the counter, “Am I interrupting something, because I can leave again.” You looked at May, then Peter. You shook your head no, and let go of May.

“Nah, I’m just glad I’m so loved,” you said as you went to look in the bags for your food. “Now let’s eat, I’m starving!”

“Actually, I should probably get going,” Aunt May said, “It’s getting to be morning and I need to get some sleep. You two get some sleep, I mean it.” She gave you both a stern look before kissing Peter’s cheek and giving you another hug. “I’ll call when I get to my place, let you know I got home safe.” She quickly went out the door and with that, it was just you and Peter. You both decided to eat in the bedroom so as to not wake your sleeping guests.

Peter quietly shut the door behind him before flopping onto the bed face first. “Longest. Day. Ever,” he said, muffled by the blankets. You just laughed at him before nudging him with your foot. When he didn’t respond, you decided to take action into your own hands.

“Alright, guess I’ll just eat your chow mein then, since I guess you’re asleep already.”

His head flew up as he looked at you with mock daggers. “You wouldn’t.”

“Wanna test your theory?” You said pulling out his take out container. He quickly scurried up the bed before taking it out of your hands, side eyeing you as he pulled out chopsticks from the bag. You ate your food in peace, a comfortable silence lulling over the two of you. When you were finished eating, Peter took the containers to the kitchen to put them in the fridge. You went to the bathroom to go get changed into your pajamas from the night before, as your clothes were still in boxes. 

You made a mental note of things you needed to get as you slipped out of your clothes. A dresser and bed were at the top of the list, because you sold those when you moved in with Harry. You knew you would think of more as the days wore on. When you were done, you brushed your teeth and headed to Peter’s room. You opened without knocking, to see an almost naked Peter, save for his underwear. You quickly realized your mistake, slamming the door shut again with a quick “Sorry” as you felt your face flush. 

A few minutes later, he called for you to let you know it was safe to enter. You made sure to knock this time, and walked in to see him already laying in bed. You crawled into the bed beside him, looking away from him for fear of him mocking you for blushing. But instead he just pulled you close to his chest, wrapping his arms around you tightly. 

“Good night, y/n.” 

“Goodnight, Petey.”

You quickly drifted off, but not before you felt him kiss the top of your head. You smiled softly to yourself before burying your face into his chest and falling into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is unhappy with the situation y/n is in with the ex and lawyers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay between writer's block, my job working for a hospital, and trying to figure out where to take this story it has taken me a bit. But I'm back and will try to post much more regularly. Please feel free to leave me feedback, criticism, or compliments. Still looking for someone to help proof read and beta for me so make sure (if you want to do that) to hit me up.

It had been 2 weeks since you had last heard anything from Detective Stacy when you finally felt comfortable in the apartment on your own. Harry’s request for bail had been revoked and he was quietly awaiting trial. In that 2 weeks, you and Peter had both worked from home with him taking a short hiatus from his nightly Spider-Man rounds. You had tried to act like nothing happened when he left the first night, only to end up sitting in his room with the door locked and your hand on your phone the entire time waiting to dial 911 if need be. When he climbed through the window at close to 2 A.M., you screamed and threw the phone at him. From then on, he didn’t really leave until you felt safe. If he left, it was usually to get food and he had Ned or Aunt May stay with you while he did. Neither one of you had talked to or about MJ since the awkwardness that occurred when she helped you move. But on the 15th day of living with Peter, the world came crashing down just when you felt like maybe the other shoe wouldn’t drop.

You were just getting back from your lunch break when you received a call from Detective Stacy about Harry trying to get a plea deal. He wanted the stalking charge dropped and the domestic assault charge lessened to bodily harm. He would serve barely any time but would have to go to counselling and would be on parole for 3 years. Detective Stacy stated that going to trial might get a worse sentence, but he could also get off on all the charges. The thought of him walking around and preying on you and possibly other women scared you if he was declared innocent and you weren’t sure if you could honestly handle seeing him in a trial. You asked to have 24 hours to think on it and texted Peter, Aunt May, and Ned on your way home for them to meet you so you could get their opinions. 

You met up with them at Aunt May and Peter’s favorite Thai place and when you showed them all of the notes you had taken when on the phone with the Detective, it was clear that no one was happy but especially not Peter. Your anxiety heightened when you took notice of his state. His eyes were glazed over but if he was trying to hide his anger his body was doing a piss poor job of following along. He sat rigid with a clenched jaw and was bouncing his leg up and down as if he needed an outlet or else he’d explode. You knew after the spiderbite all of his emotions were heightened but it had been so long since you had seen just how angry he could be and that had been the prevailing emotion on and off for the last few weeks. It scared you but also comforted you at the same time. It showed how much he hated that all of this was happening to you but seeing as how an angry man got you to this point in the first place it also set you on edge. As if he could read your mind, it was then that Peter took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He ran a hand through his hair and his shoulders started to slump. You could tell he was really trying not to let his anger explode but already knew that with all of this he’d spend most of the night on patrol just to be able to clear his head.

“Are you fu-- Are you kidding me? Parole? No, this is not okay.” He stated while clenching and unclenching his jaw. “It’s the stupid lawyers’ fault. They’re trying to sweep this under the rug because of who his daddy is.”

“Do you want me to hack his phone? See if there’s any evidence you could use in court? Oooor, alternatively if he’s even remotely found innocent, we could always have Spider-Man handle him the old fashioned way” Ned interjected, gesturing to Peter. You wondered when Ned became so willing to break the law. Being ‘the guy in the chair’ is one thing, but literal assault was a bit much. _“Not that he doesn’t deserve it…,”_ you think. You shake your head to clear the nasty little thought away before it festered and got the best of you.

You began fiddling with your hands while looking at a spot on the table. “Just because he’s an ass doesn’t mean we stoop to his level,” you stated as you stabbed a piece of meat with your fork and pointed it in Ned’s direction to hopefully get your point across. “It’s not like I can afford a better lawyer, Pete. I have to use the public defender they gave me, moving and buying new furniture cleared a good chunk of my savings and it’s not like lawyers are cheap in this city. Unless you have any better ideas, I’m gonna have to choose between accepting this deal or risking him getting off scot-free for what he did to me. What he could do to more women. If I don’t accept the deal, and he walks, any hurt he inflicts on any of you for protecting me or any other woman just because he _knows_ now that he can get away with it… that’s gonna be partially on me...”

“Y/n, sweetheart, you _cannot_ blame yourself for whatever he _could_ do. Those actions are his choice and nobody else’s. His hands _aren’t_ tied, he _doesn’t_ have a gun to his head to make him act this way. He chooses to and you don’t deserve to take the blame for his actions if the justice system fails_ you_ and in turn _them_. That being said, I know you and you won’t listen to me because of that thick skull of yours and your love for denial so I don’t know what you should do in this situation,” Aunt May said while grabbing your hands and trying to soothe you. “Peter, is there any way you can-” Before she could even finish her sentence, Peter had his phone in his hand.

“I’m already on it,” he said, typing away on his phone at a speed you hadn’t seen before. You looked between him and May quizzically before looking at Ned. He simply shrugged his shoulders, having just as much of a clue as you. When Peter finally looked from his phone, he looked slightly less annoyed, his face less pinched. “So, you’re gonna have to fire your lawyer, y/n.” You were astounded by how flippant he sounded. Like he was telling you to order a topping on a pizza, not fire someone who could at the very least get your abuser to admit his wrongdoing. While the deal was horrible in your eyes, you couldn’t exactly see you representing _yourself_ in this case and it _not_ resulting in a breakdown or him being found innocent.

“What?! Why?” You noticed some of the other patrons turn to look at you from the outburst, so you quickly shoved some food in your mouth, hoping they would turn around and do the same. When they finally turned around, you looked at May and Peter with squinted eyes and tried to figure out what exactly they were up to. 

“Because I- well Mr. Stark, just got you a new one. Best one in the entire state according to him. I guess he helped him out in some of Mr. Stark’s more wild days?” He said the last part as more of a question, not quite sure what Stark had meant by that. You looked at him incredulously, the boy you once knew that was afraid to disappoint Tony was now just asking him for a lawyer. You were sure he hadn’t given Tony the full story or even part of it. _“He probably just saw the name Osbourn and figured it would be a way to tarnish one of his direct competitors.”_

“He wants the two of us to meet the lawyer at the Tower so we know it’s a safe location in case Harry is having you followed. We should probably get going, he wants us there ASAP,” Peter stated, grabbing his coat off of the back of his chair and putting it on before handing some money to May to cover the food and kissing her on the cheek. He looked to you still seated in your chair, a dumbstruck look on your face as your brain tried to comprehend what was happening. You were trying to wrap your brain around how nonchalant he was being about the whole thing. From texting Tony for something that you’re sure is going to cost him quite a lot to casually referring to Avenger’s freaking Tower without fanboying, it was a lot to process. All you could mutter out was “B-but I’m not dressed to meet the _Avengers_ let alone _IRON MAN.” _

Suddenly you were a 17 year old girl freaking out over the Avengers and how cool they were as Peter told you stories of the times he got to work with them and thinking how you wish you could be that lucky. Now that the opportunity was here, you just felt sick to your stomach. You felt your breathing speed up and your stomach churn and began to wonder how close you were to passing out. 

As Peter made his way around the table towards you, he could tell you needed help grounding before your slight freak out became a full blown panic attack so he grabbed your hand and made you stand up, pulling you quickly into a hug. “”Breathe, n/n, follow my breathing.” He breathed in for a few seconds, held his breath and then released slowly.He continued, making sure you were following until he heard your heart rate slow slightly. At that point he realized other’s were talking about you and looking at you. 

“N/n,” he whispered in your ear, “I want you to just hold my hand and keep your head down, okay? Just until we get out of here. Then we can talk it out on our way over, alright. You look great and they won’t pry or look down on you. They’ve all heard a lot about you and if anything, they’ll probably just make a joke about Tony having another person under his wing. They are all broken people and know how to respect boundaries. Okay?”

You nodded, putting on your hoodie and throwing the hood up. Grabbing your purse and throwing it over your shoulder, you kept your eyes focused on your shoes. You willed your feet to move one after the other, until you crossed the threshold of the restaurant and felt the wind lightly caress your face, breathing in deeply. Peter, making sure you were okay, began to walk with you slowly in the direction of Stark Tower.

There was too much happening that you felt your head spin as you got closer and closer to the giant tower. You had always thought it was a bit ostentatious but to be fair, that seemed to just be Tony Stark’s public persona. It was weird to think that you were getting ready to meet the man you had idolized so much growing up, much to your mother’s chagrin. She had always asked why you picked him of all people to latch onto; in her eyes he was a show off and was in it solely for the ego boost and press. You couldn’t explain it, but he was your hero in every sense of the word. That is, until your best friend became a hero in his own right.

When Peter came clean about the bite, meeting Tony Stark, Berlin, and patrolling, you were completely awestruck. You couldn’t believe that your best friend could actually keep a secret, especially one about a man you both had idolized. But from then on, you had a new favorite superhero. You weren’t sure if your other would’ve been happy about that, seeing as how she saw all superheroes as reckless and that was the last thing she wanted you to be. She had lost your father to addiction when she was pregnant with you and she couldn’t stand the thought of losing you too. That was one thing you were thankful for in the maze that had been your life thus far. She never had to have that last fear actualized, even though it hurt every day since she had died. You wondered how she would have felt about the situation you were in now, on the front step of a building she despised about to meet a man she couldn’t stand you idolizing.

Peter squeezed your hand in reassurance as he turned his head to face you. “You ready, n/n. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Your anxiety was through the roof but, with Peter’s hand in yours, you knew deep down that everything would eventually be okay as you walked over the threshold.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the kudos and feedback! I just wanted to say thank you for giving me the kid words and I hope you all enjoy the new chapter

Avengers Tower was just as intimidating on the inside as it looked from the outside. The lobby was much busier than expected given the hour, full of people who you assumed to be agents. The dress ranged from street clothes on operatives who appeared to be on undercover missions to tactical gear. You assumed the agents dressed in business attire were more of your run of the mill desk workers. It was hard not to be intimidated surrounded by all of these people who could probably tell you dirt on everyone in the city and/or kill you without batting an eye. Guards in full tactical gear were posted by each door _ “I guess you always have to be on guard when you’re the freaking _ Avengers! _ ” _You thought to yourself as you walked past the lobby and into the elevator corridor. You got a few odd glances from a gaggle of business women chatting about lord knows what. However, as soon as Peter saw the guard manning the elevator, some of his stress began to melt off of his shoulders.

“Hey kid, what are you doing here so late,” the man said with a sort of lopsided grin. He looked vaguely familiar but you couldn’t quite place him. His face was handsome in a rugged way, his hair was cut short and he seemed relaxed. His kind gray eyes like a calm sky, just before a storm. The way he looked at Peter showed he held a certain fondness for him, even if there was a glint to his eye that you read as mischievous. Almost like an older brother who loves to tease and taunt their younger sibling. He had a calming aura around him that made you feel safer just standing near him. He was one of the more casually dressed agents, wearing a black t-shirt, hoodie and some dark wash jeans. As you took in what he was wearing, you noticed the metal hand at the end of his hoodie sleeve. 

The realization hit you as your jaw went slack, the infamous Winter Soldier was a mere few feet from you. You had heard about him from Peter, after Europe and had then done some digging on your own when trying to learn more about the people your best friend chose to fight. His cybernetic arm seemed different though, what was once silver now black with delicate gold accents. It was odd to you but your realization didn’t remove the calm that you had felt just moments before. You expected with his past that you would feel on edge, but who were you to judge someone based solely on the past. 

“Just here to see Tony, Bucky. He in the penthouse?” Peter said smiling, oblivious to your inspection of Bucky. It was still so at odds with the image of him you had in your head of the nerdy, self conscious boy he once was. Here he was talking to a super soldier just as easily as if it were you or Ned. You obviously had a lot to relearn about him since the last time you had really been around him.

These last few weeks had been a roller coaster of trying to relearn your best friend, everything felt so new and yet still so similar that it was only moments like this that you really felt the effects of your time spent apart. It made your heart hurt thinking about it. Peter was always your lifeline, but lately he had felt more like a stranger, maybe it was because you just couldn’t see him for who he had become but rather what he had been. It was so hard to believe that 2 years could change so much. But the evidence was laid out in front of you, wearing neon and glitter just begging for you to notice, you made a promise to yourself to talk with him more about everything that had happened during the gap as soon as you were done here. Maybe it would help you create a new normal, one where you didn’t feel constantly thrown off kilter by life’s ever changing ways. 

“Yeah, the workaholic is where he always is, the lab. I’m a bit worried about him so I’m glad you’re here to visit. It’ll really cheer him up, I know how much you mean to him. Almost as much munchkin, who by the way will also be thrilled that her big brother is here to visit. Do me a favor, tell her to easy up on the make-overs. She always makes me look like a drag queen, not my best look” Bucky said, shuddering as he turned his gaze towards you. He surveyed you as if he was trying to discern if you were good people or he would have to deal with you later “Now Peter, it’s rude to not introduce your guest. Who is this lovely young woman” He had a softness to his voice that wasn’t there before, almost as if he could read your soul and realize just how close to breaking down you were. Everything had felt like it was getting back to normal before the phone call today. Now, you just wanted to curl up in one of Peter’s hoodies and lie on the couch while eating Ben & Jerry’s. 

Peter rubbed his thumb along the back of your hand as he glanced down at you. “Oh, right. This is y/n y/l/n, she’s my best friend.” He smiled at you as he looked back at Bucky, “Tony actually asked to see her, can you believe it?”

Bucky had a look of shock pass over his face for a moment before the stony, relaxed mask he had on before was resituated. He rubbed the back of his neck with his metal hand and you could hear the metal plates shifting slightly. “Wow, that’s kind of a big deal. You sure she can handle it, kid?” 

You were wondering what he could possibly be talking about. The last time you had seen or heard of Tony Stark was before the snap that caused everyone you loved to fade from existence. It was a surprise when everyone came back as suddenly as they left; but after he had saved the universe, his wife Pepper had given a statement that he was retiring and would like to not be bothered any further. Surprisingly, the press respected the statement. You guessed that’s what happens when you do what he did. It was shocking that the once media “darling” would back out from the limelight but who could blame him, he’d been doing the hero act for years and deserved some rest. 

Peter’s smile never wavered though as he looked at Bucky, “I think she can handle it. Plus, it’s not like she’s a complete stranger to him. I remember babbling his ear off talking about her when we would be in the lab tinkering with my suits. He also saw her kick butt on Flash’s live stream when we were in Europe when you all were on that ‘covert mission’, he said with air quotes using his free hand. 

Getting that Peter wasn’t going to take no for an answer, Bucky stepped aside as the door to the elevators opened. “If you say so, punk. Just tell FRIDAY where to go, you know the drill. Oh, and y/n, nice meeting you. Sorry for the twenty questions,” he chuckled, “force of habit trying to protect everyone here, ya know? I hope to see you around sometime.” As the elevator doors closed, you released the breath you hadn’t realized you’d been keeping in. Peter looked at you and pulled you close, rubbing your back as he talked to the empty air of the confined space. “FRIDAY, Tony’s lab please.”

Suddenly a disembodied voice filled the silence, “Should I alert him of your arrival?” The voice sounded friendly enough, you were wondering if that was just you reflecting though. 

“Nah, he knows we’re on our way. Is Morgan with him?” he asked, still not letting you go, chin resting on the crown of your head. You could get used to the closeness of the action. Being with Peter, you had received a softness you hadn’t gotten in over a year and a half. It felt nice to be held without expectations or worry that a fight was on the horizon. Peter was stable and you didn’t realize how much you had missed the stability before that first night. 

“Morgan is currently with Mrs. Stark, on her way to dance practice, would you like me to alert them upon their arrival to the tower” You begin to wonder if you’ll get to meet the little girl who had thoroughly melted Peter’s heart upon being returned from wherever you all were during the snap. Once everything settled, Peter had gained two “adopted siblings” and the Parker’s had finally accepted Tony and Pepper's generosity. 

Last you knew, two years ago, Tony was even looking at Peter to take over the New Avengers and was in talks with Peter and his newfound friend/ “brother” Harley on who would run Stark Industries when Pepper inevitably decided to step down. You hadn’t heard much since then but from what you could tell, Peter had definitely stepped up on the hero front. You had learned after Peter had moved you in that he hadn’t really needed anyone to help cover the bills, as the Avengers were paying for it. Or rather Tony was, as Peter had accepted his offer to head up the New Avengers. 

As Peter was letting FRIDAY know what to do you couldn’t help but remember how you got to where you are now and imagine what could have been if you had taken Peter up on his offer and confession so long ago. Could you have been a part of this close family with the Avengers? Would you have finished school, avoided so much of the heartache that life after Peter had held? Or was this how things were supposed to play out? You couldn’t imagine what sort of entity would want you to suffer as much as you had but maybe it was a more malevolent god like Loki that really controlled all of this. That was a grim thought. You remembered how much destruction and death he had brought when you and Peter were much younger. 

As you were deep in your musings the elevator doors opened and you saw a vast engineering lab, if you could call it that. It looked like a mix between a hotrod shop and a robotics lab at MIT. Peter called for Tony and you suddenly heard a tool drop followed by a string of curses, some of the words you weren’t even sure if they were actual swears or the kind you make up when a child is present as a placeholder word. You marveled at the cars around you, cars you thought you would only ever see in pictures. If it wasn’t for the fear of getting ready to meet one of your heroes, you would be going nuts over the 1967 Shelby Cobra that looked like it had seen slightly better days. Tony called to Peter about his location and Peter began navigating you through the maze of machinery, tools, and robotic exoskeletons.

When your eyes finally landed on Tony, you didn’t believe what you saw. There he was, in the flesh. But he had looked different than all of the pictures you used to have plastered on your bedroom walls and the pictures in your textbooks at school. You noticed scarring along the right side of his face and saw the way it snaked down the side of his neck and disappeared under the collar of his shirt. The worst of the damage appeared to be on his arm; the scars appeared to be much deeper there than anywhere else. He looked as though he had sustained severe burns and you wondered how far the damage went. “_ Now the media black out makes sense _ ,” you thought as the realization hit you like a ton of bricks. “ _ He had always been a vain person, so of course he wouldn’t want anyone to see the damage sustained by the war.” _

As he went to stand up, you heard machinery whirring quietly and looked down. He had what appeared to be metal braces on his right leg. It didn’t look like anything you had seen before. _ “Maybe he designed it himself. The perks of being rich and an engineer, you can make a better prosthesis for yourself.” _If he had caught you staring, he didn’t let you know as he held his hand out for you to take it. 

“Y/n, I assume? It’s nice to meet you, sorry about the circumstances though.” You took his hand and shook it, trying not to pass out from sheer joy. Disfigured or not, this was the man who you had idolized for most of your formative years. “Just so you know, I won’t let him get away with what has happened. I have already sent over the police reports and evidence to my lawyer. Best attorney in the whole state, I actually moved her here from LA when I got into some legal problems before all of _ this _,” he said, gesticulating wildly at the room around him.

“Wait, _ her? _ ” Peter asked, “ I thought you said you would send it to your _ guy? _ If I had known your attorney was a girl, I would’ve told y/n, might’ve made her more at ease.”

“First of all, my young padawan, you assume too much. Her assistant is very much a man, and he is _ my guy _. Most correspondence is through him as Ms. Walters is a very busy woman. She will of course be taking the case pro-bono as she hates any man who harms a woman, very feminist in that regard. Second, I’m sure no matter the circumstances Ms. Y/n would be uncomfortable as the current situation is a difficult one to process. Not to mention being in a building with a god, an ex carney turned assassin and his family, a hundred year old soldier, a jolly green giant, a guy who shrinks, a guy who flies, and of course me, the cripple.” He chuckled at his own expense as he directed his focus to Peter, ”All joking aside, I’m surprised she’s ever comfortable around you my Spiderling,” he stated, pulling Peter into a head lock and tousling his hair, “considering all the babbling you used to do, if I hadn’t seen the feeds, I woulda thought you made her up.” 

As he released Peter Tony looked at you, your eyes still wide with awe. “Hey Pete, why don’t you go get y/n a refreshment from the kitchen while I talk with her about some things. Then we can all have a grown up discussion about some things that have been nagging at me the last few weeks.” Peter looked between you and Tony, as if trying to communicate with you silently, making sure you were okay. You nodded and his face relaxed, his finally focusing on Tony, “Okay, but can I talk to you really quick?” Peter had an odd look on his face as he motioned for Tony to follow him to a separate area of the workshop.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Once Peter had reached an area where he knew no one without superhuman hearing would overhear what he was about to ask Tony, he turned to face his father figure and mentor. His heart raced and his palms became slick at the mere thought of what could happen when he left the room. “You’re not gonna tell her, are you? What I told you? I don’t think she’s ready right now, Tony. Plus, I _ just _got her back. I can’t lose her again. When I got that phone call, I thought I had lost her for good. I can’t have you dropping any kind of bomb on her when she is already in a fragile position.”

Peter knew he was rambling but he couldn’t help it. The thought of you leaving him again terrified him. But you were already so upset that he didn’t know how to approach the topic with you when your world kept getting upheaved. He knew you would have to find out eventually, but he wanted to at least wait until the court case was settled.

“Peter, I would never betray your trust like that. I merely want to give her an opportunity to get to know me as a person. Let her get her questions, excitement, and nerves out before the poor girl’s head explodes. I’m working on a limited schedule before Pep gets back or Buck opens his big mouth and the whole tower is trying to make the rounds. I will send an alert to your phone once she’s given me the okay and you can come back. You told me how much you both look up to me a long time ago and I want to give her the same opportunity I gave you all those years ago. I noticed you didn’t tell her about why I look like this. Poor girl looks like she’s seen a ghost.”

Peter felt ashamed, blindsiding you with Tony’s condition but he didn’t want to scare you and if he was being honest, it was still hard for him to deal with. Peter would never tell you, but dealing with _ his _ PTSD from the war and then also facing both snaps was hard to do. That part of his story was hard for him to relive, even with you. But standing in front of Tony now, it brought back the memories, like always.  
  


*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Peter had reached for Tony instinctively when he held the stones, before anyone else on the team. He felt the sheer power, got drunk off of it. At first, Peter wanted to bathe in the feeling forever, he felt invincible. Within moments, it became terrifying. This was an unnatural level of power that no being should ever possess, mortal or not. Every cell was filled with it, to the point where Peter felt like his nerve endings were splitting and reconnecting over and over again.

The edge was taken off as other members of the team grabbed on to Tony and each other. Everyone’s minds felt connected too, as though they were all one organism, with Tony being the leader. A loud cacophony of voices drenched with fear flooded Peter’s mind to the point where he couldn’t tell where he ended and they all began. When it was finally manageable, Tony used all the strength he could muster to end the fight once and for all. 

For a brief second after the snap, there was nothing. Then, pain tore through everyone as the power surged out. Loud screams bubbled from the Avenger’s mouths as one by one, they all let go. Despite the entire team sharing the burden, Tony had sustained the most damage. As Peter let go of Tony, he dropped to ground, nearly knocked unconscious from the collective pain he had felt. Peter quickly sat up, trying to compose himself as the sounds in his head didn't stop. That’s when he noticed Tony. 

As Thanos and his army vanished, Tony collapsed to the ground. Most of his right side was covered in horrible burns, the smell of burning flesh and ash heavy in the air. Dr Strange tore through the crowd to open a portal, only keeping it open long enough for Pepper, Peter and Rhodey to step through before slamming it shut.

Peter was unsure where he was until the sounds of monitors and the smell of disinfectant flooded his senses. He could still hear panic but now it was that of hospital workers trying to get Tony’s suit off and get him sedated. Peter wasn’t sure if he was hearing the staff or their thoughts. But he didn’t have time to figure out where he was or why he felt differently. He just thanked whatever force that controlled all the madness of the universe that Dr. Strange had gotten them to a hospital before Tony was too far gone. 

It was touch and go for a long time, but when the doctor came out with a relieved look on her face, Peter knew no matter how long it would take, everything would be fine. Only then did Peter allow himself to feel the exhaustion that had been creeping onto him since he had come back to the realm of the living. He felt himself slump in the chair, unable to keep himself upright any longer.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Peter came back to reality as Tony snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Earth to web head, you okay in there kiddo?” Peter shook his head to clear the fog as he looked at Tony. 

“I’m sorry Mister Stark, I should’ve told her about you or warned you that I hadn’t told her yet. It’s just… ugh!” Peter groaned, rubbing his face roughly, “I could hear how hopeless she felt, could feel it radiating off of her. I hate that I couldn’t have prevented this all because of some stupid thing I said years ago. I want to get her back, want to _ win her back _. And I know it’s not the right time but I just can’t help but feel protective over her. She will always be the love of my life, even if I’m not hers. And to hear her talk about even letting the scum who hurt her get away because of who his father is made me see red. There’s no excuse for this though Tony, I’m sorry.”

Tony patted Peter’s shoulder, “I forgive you kid, I just hope she will when all is said and done.”


End file.
